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Besigye: We Did Not Trust Mbabazi

Dr Kizza Besigye has revealed that FDC refused to back Hon Amama Mbabazi as TDA’s joint candidate in the 2016 presidential elections due to doubts over his commitment to fight for accountability and good governance.

“We were not contended he was ready for the fight for rule of law, cheapestampoule http://cbvsalvail.ca/wp-includes/class-wp-widget.php ’ said Besigye, this site http://dailycoffeenews.com/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/includes/class-wc-query.php emphasising, “We were not sure he was ready for the fight against corruption.”

Besigye made the remarks on Friday morning at the TDA headquarters in Naguru, Kampala.

It was hoped that TDA would field a joint candidate against President Museveni in 2016.

However, the arrangement collapsed with TDA members agreeing to field two candidates – Besigye and Mbabazi.

Besigye today clarified that FDC did not have any reservations with Mbabazi being an NRM member, saying, “I have been in NRM myself as political commissar.”

He added: “We were simply saying that anyone who wants to become member of our alliance, we would welcome. However, we had to question their commitment.”

Besigye further said Mbabazi’s determination to change the system of governance was questionable because “he has been in government for 30 years and he never corrected NRM as it was going wrong.”

The FDC strongman said Mbabazi’s departure from NRM was because of a “transition in” in reference to the Prime Minister’s sacking and eventual toppling from the position of NRM Secretary General.

“He (Mbabazi) indeed answered that he may not have done so but is now reformed. We now welcome that the Saul can become a Paul,” said Besigye.

He quickly added Uganda was at a critical stage to take chances with suspicious presidential candidates.

“This is not an area we are seeking confrontation but where there are no fake changes in government. This is why we are being careful and interrogative so that we don’t get just change but qualitative change,” said Besigye.

“It’s not about us or myself Besigye but someone who has quality. It could be someone else,” said the politician who at one time served as President Museveni’s physician.

“It was my suggestion that it could be someone else outside the four of us (Norbert Mao, Prof Gilbert Bukenya, Mbabazi and Besigye).”

Democracy

Besigye also appeared to question the democratic credential of Mbabazi’s ‘Go Forward’ group as its leader was not elected by any known system.

“Nobody in my party would say I wasn’t properly elected in my party. I was leader of FDC but left office even before my tenure and this time I was contesting from outside. Even the leadership in FDC was renewed which shows how democratic I am,” he boasted.

“It is only in FDC where there are no contentions unlike in other parties. That’s why we now have Mbabazi in our amidst but he never intended. It was because of the wrangles in the NRM party.”

Besigye said the “best home for people who are homeless like Mbabazi is the FDC which is democratic”.

Besigye called for respect for opposition members, saying, “We will continue treating respectfully all those willing to join us.”

He promised to continue holding discussions with Mbabazi and that the struggle for reforms would proceed.

“Whatever will not be achieved anyway will be achieved at an appropriate time. A lot of these reforms will require a lot of processes and education of our people,” he concluded.